“I was in Sousse, Tunisia, just after the Arab Spring. I found myself alone down a seemingly abandoned alleyway when I was startled by the appearance of this cat. As I explored the area she kept an eye on me, as if tolerating my presence in her domain, popping up at a safe distance at every turn.

This was the last look back over her shoulder before she disappeared deeper into the labyrinth, daring me to follow her but somehow knowing that I wouldn’t and that she could go back to her streetwise lonesome scavenging, never being sure if she could have trusted me but having shared a moment with me that I still treasure.”

The judges felt that this image reflected the hot and tough life of many street cats and the need for us to care about their welfare. They also loved the composition of the photograph and the direct gaze of the cat.

Mei’s winning image features in the 2018 Street Cats Calendar which will be sold to raise funds for International Cat Care’s cat welfare work.

To find out more and to pre-order your copy of the calendar for just £5 click here.